This is a zine dedicated to black metal written by a follower of the left hand path, This zine has been around in a different format for a while and I have decided to make an edition for www.blogger.com, for more information email occultblackmetalzine@yahoo.com, new albums as well as classic albums will be reviewed on here as long as their good quality black metal,

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Surachai are a 1 man band from Chicago, Illinois that plays a mixture of post black metal, progressive and noise and this is a review of his 2011 album "To No Avail" which was released by Handshake Inc.

The album starts out with some ambient noise sounds and distorted power electronics and a couple of minutes later fast post black metal guitar riffs and screams are added into the music along with some crust elements and you can also hear a decent amount of dark sounding melodies, guitar leads, and blast beats being thrown into the music.

As the album progresses it starts mixing slower and atmospheric parts in with the faster material that is present on this recording as well as bringing back in elements of noise and the music starts going into a more experimental direction while also going back to a heavier direction at times as well as utilizing a mixture of both fast and slow parts and this project has a very original sound to it and I can see it appealing to a lot of post black metal fans and the album closes with a dark sounding violins being mixed in with some avant garde sounds.

Song lyrics cover dark themes, while the production has a very dark and raw sound with both of the songs being long and epic in length.

In my opinion Surachai are a very great sounding mixture of post black metal, progressive, noise and ambient and if you are a fan of those musical genres, you should check out this project. RECOMMENDED BUY.

Monday, December 30, 2013

Vesterian are a band that has been featured before in this zine with a musical style I would describe as being a very dark and heavy form of satanic/occult black metal and this is a review of their 2013 album "Anthems For The Coming War Age" which was released by Glorious North Productions.

The album starts out with some dark and ritualistic sound effects along with some some synths as well as the sounds of nature and war and than the music goes into a very fast black metal assault along with some blast beats and high pitched screams and the music utilizes a very dark sounding atmosphere as well as adding in melody to the chaos this music produces and after awhile the music slows down and adds in some guitar solos which enhance the darkness of the album.

As the album progresses it gets more dark and evil in sound as well as mixing in some brutal elements as well as adding in spoken word parts with the screams and a lot of true and old school black metal elements start to kick in a lot more and the music for the most part sticks to a fast and chaotic direction while the slow parts are still used on a regular basis and they also bring in a ritualistic feeling to the recording and the guitar solos also start displaying a lot more talent and skill.

Once we get halfway through the album the bass guitars start sounder stronger and they add to the chaos and demonic speed of the music while also adding to the darkness of the more slow and atmospheric elements of the music and towards the end there is also a few seconds of melodic clean singing vocals being mixed in with some grim sounding screams.

This album shows a lot of strength and power as well as diversity when the band goes into fast mode the music is some of the most chaotic black metal ever produced while the slower and more melodic aspects of the music bring in a dark atmosphere that sets this band a part from other bands of this genre and when synths are utilized they bring back memories of the more atmospheric sounding 90's black metal bands and with all of these elements combined it makes this recording one of the best black metal albums released this year.

Song lyrics cover Satanism, Occultism and Sumerian themes, while the production has a very strong, powerful, heavy and dark sound where you can hear all of the musical instruments that are present on this recording as well as some of the songs being very long and epic in length.

In my opinion this is another great sounding recording from Vesterian and if you are a fan of dark, heavy, fast and melodic satanic/occult black metal, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Under the Blood Red Moon" "Ancient Bloodthirst" "Unknown Spell's From Nibiru's Watchtower" and "Dark Oceans Roar During the Cosmic Upheavel". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Sunday, December 29, 2013

This is another review of a recording from Gruzeit which continues their mixture of melancholic post rock and depressive black metal as well as mixing in elements of electronic music with the remix ep being self released in 2013 and called "440 - The Remix Suite".

the ep starts out with some drum beats and electronic music elements before adding in black metal screams and the music starts going for more of a darker direction and you can also hear industrial elements being thrown into the music.

By the time the music gets into the second song clean guitars and post rock elements start mixing in with black metal and electronic music as well as adding in some dark sounding whispers as well as some electric guitars and a lot of the electronic elements that are added in border more on dub step and it adds in a different element that black metal bands rarely touch on and the synths which are added in on the last song bring an even darker touch to the music.

Song lyrics are written in German and cover dark, depressive and melancholic themes, while the production has a very dark and heavy sound with all of the songs being remixes.

In my opinion this is another great sounding recording from Gruzeit and if you are looking for a recording that mixes electronic music with black metal and post rock, you should check out this ep. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "440:2" and "440:4". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Grauzeit are a band from Germany that plays a depressive form of post black metal and this is a review of their self released 2012 ep "Dieses Gefuhl jeden Tag".

The ep starts off with some melancholic sounding acoustic guitars that utilize both finger picking and full chords and background voices and after awhile post rock elements are added into the music and after a minute into the first official song on the ep drums, black metla guitar riffs and depressive screams are added into the music.

As the ep progresses post rock elements start mixing in with depressive black metal and it takes the music into a more melancholic direction as well as mixing clean and heavy parts together as well as adding more melody into the guitar riffing and when the ep goes into the fourth song melodic clean singing vocals are added into the music.

As the ep progresses the music starts focusing more on acoustic guitars and post rock elements and not really utilizing much of their black metal sound and while the post rock parts are done with a lot skill I still prefer the more black metal side of their musical style and the music starts getting a lot more powerful when the black metal parts make a return to the recording.

Song lyrics are written in German and cover dark, depressive, melancholic and philosophical themes, while the production has a very dark, raw and heavy sound with the music guitars being mixed down low in the mix as well as some of the songs being long and epic in length.

In my opinion Grauzeit are a very great sounding mixture of depressive black metal and melancholic rock and if you are a fan of these musical genres, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Mein Leben Endet..." and "Dieses Gefuhl jeden Tag". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Saturday, December 28, 2013

This is a review of a split cassette between Germany's Ancst and Hiveburner which was released as a joint effort between Skull Witch and Mustard Moustache and we are going to start off the review with Ancst a band that has been featured before in this zine and plays a raw form of black metal mixed with crust and noise.

Their side of the split begins with some atmospheric sounding drones and dark guitar riffs before going into a very fast black metal assault along with some blast beats from the drums and then the music starts slowing down a bit and grim screams make their presence known as well as a mixture of both fast and slow parts.

By the time we get to the second song hardcore and crust elements are added in along with some strong melodic black metal elements and the band continues the tradition of their trademark mixture of crust and grind and this is also some of their strongest sounding material.

Song lyrics cover anti religion and anti fascist themes, while the production has a very raw, heavy and dark sound with the bass guitars being mixed down low in the mix and the sound focuses more on guitars, drums and vocals.

In my opinion this is another great sounding recording from Ancst and if you are a fan of crust influenced black metal, you should check out their side of the split. RECOMMENDED TRACK "Patterns And Dreamers".

Next up is Hiveburner a band that plays a mixture of black metal, drone and sludge.

Their side of the split starts off with some drone and noise sounds and after awhile guitar distortion along with some heavy doom metal guitar riffs and drums start to kick in while also having some harsh noise elements in the background which also lead to some aggressive vocals that have a hardcore feeling to them as well as adding black metal influences into the screams and towards the end the music speeds up a bit along with some blast beats and crust infuenced growls which enhance the epic elements of their side of the recording.

Song lyrics cover dark themes, while the production has a very dark and heavy sound with their only song being very long and epic in length.

In my opinion Hiveburner are a very great sounding mixture of black metal, sludge, drone and doom metal and if you are a fan of those musical genres, you should check out their side of the split. RECOMMENDED.

In conclusion I feel this is a very great sounding split and if you are a fan of black metal, crust and sludge, you should check out this cassette. RECOMMENDED BUY.

Legions Of War are a band from Sweden that plays a mixture of black, war and thrash metal and this is a review of their 2013 album "Forced to The Ground" which was released by Inferno Records.

The album starts off with an intro that has the sounds of war stomping along with some synths as well as some heavy and melodic guitar riffing and drums before going into a fast melodic black metal assault along with high pitched screams and a few seconds later guitar solos are added into the music in certain parts as well as being diverse along with a mixture of slow and fast parts and then the thrash influences start to kick in and really start to take over on the next song.

When the music is in black/thrash mode it really starts to kick in gear and it never goes away from the black metal and the mixture of black and thrash metal are a very great strong point on the recording and the music starts also incorporating classic metal elements, and as the album progresses it starts also going into a melodic black metal direction to create a true and diverse metal record.

Once we get into the fourth song classical guitars are added in as an intro before going into a melodic and old school metal direction as well as adding in powerful sounding bass guitars and once the black metal parts kick in the music starts reminding me of what Dissection would of sounded like if they where more thrash influenced.

The album really starts getting more diverse as time goes on by one minute the music will be an all out thrash assault and then it stops with some depressing sounding keyboards, acoustic guitars and melodic guitar leads before making a return to being heavy again and I can hear some King Diamond and Mercyful Fate influences being used in the guitar riffing and the screams also bring back memories of Bewitched and there is also a brief use of psychedelic sounding keyboards.

One of the main strengths this band has is that every song sounds different from each other and it only sticks to true elements which is actually a great thing and I can see this album making this band very well known in the metal genre.

Song lyrics cover war and violence themes, while the production has a very strong, powerful, professional. and heavy sound where you can hear all of the musical instruments that are present on this recording.

In my opinion Legions Of War are a very great sounding mixture of war, melodic black metal and thrash and if you are a fan of those musical genres, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Forced To The Ground" "At the Eastern Shores" and "In The Warfield Storms". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Friday, December 27, 2013

Adventum Diaboli are a band from Greece that h as been featured before in this zine with a musical style that mixes old school occult black metal with depressive black metal along with a touch of paganism and this is a review of their self released 2013 album "Rise Of the Pagans".

Dark sounding synths mark the beginning of the album and a minute later tribal sounding drums start coming into the music and a minute later melodic black metal guitar riffs and grim screams make their way into the music and mix in with the drums and synths, then the music goes for more of a depressive and old school black metal direction.

As the album progresses death metal growls are added into certain sections of the music and the album starts incorporating more atmospheric elements as well as some spoken word parts in certain sections of the recording and after awhile the music starts going for more of an early 90's black metal direction that sticks more to a mid paced direction while also having a very dark and raw sound to it and the drums at times while speed up to add more of a primal feeling to the recording.

Once we get more into the album acoustic guitars that utilize a great amount of finger picking as well as being used on a couple of songs are added into the recording and enhance the darkness this album possesses and then goes into some hateful black metal sounds as well as mixing in guitar leads and they album starts adding in a ritualistic quality and towards the end synths make a return to one song and bring back in the depressive and atmospheric elements as well as bringing in shamanistic elements to the last song.

Once of the main strengths this album has is that every song stands out and they all have a different sound while remaining true to old school black metal and this album displays this band has a great knowledge of old school black metal.

Song lyrics cover Paganism, Greek Mythology and Occultism as well as having one song being written in Greek, while the production has a very dark, raw and old school sound to it with the bass guitars being mixed down low in the mix as well as some of the songs being long and epic in length.

In my opinion this is another great sounding recording from Adventum Diaboli and if you are a fan of depressive and old school black metal, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Transylvanian Wind" Medieval Pagan Rites" and "Eis Arews Dokska". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Thursday, December 26, 2013

L'Hiver en Deuil are a band from Belgium that plays melancholic form of black metal and this is a review of their 2013 album "Ter Aarde" which was released by Consouling Agency.

The album starts off with some dark sounding distortion that comes out of the guitar playing and once the music goes into the prelude drums are added in and then the music shape shifts into clean guitars and bass before heading into a slower black metal sound and adding in spoken word parts which also start mixing in black metal screams and death metal growls.

As the album moves on acoustic guitars are mixed in with the heavier parts, , and as the album moves on post rock elements are added in and they enhance the atmospheric black metal elements this recording possesses and poetic elements are added to the spoken word parts and the music also starts getting more melodic after awhile as well as mixing in whispers.

One of the main strengths on this album are the depressive black metal elements that are mixed in with the deeper vocals and the screams also start adding more of a melancholic feeling and while they say there are post hardcore elements on this recording, I cant hear them and to me that is a great thing and another great highlight are the fast riffs and blast beats that are utilized later on during the recording which gives the music more life.

Song lyrics are written in a mixture of English, Dutch and French and cover dark and melancholic themes, as for the production it has a very heavy and dark sound where you can hear all of the musical instruments that are present on this recording as well as some of the songs being very long and epic in length.

In my opinion L'Hiver en Deuil are a very great sounding melancholic black metal band and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Gesel" and "Gekluisterd". RECOMMENDED BUY.

I guess and hope that listening to my first album could say enough about this project.

2.How would you describe the musical sound that is present on your recordings?

Waves of distorted guitars layered with synth. Atmospheric and “spatial”.

3.Your lyrics cover cosmos and space themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interests in these topics?

I don’t really have lyrics : there are only screams. I use my voice as an instrument, another layer of sound to express feelings… Watching a sky full of stars on a clear night has always been an intense and personal experiment for me. In fact, I can’t really express myself with words about cosmos and space... That’s why I’m trying to do it through music. It is a mix of a deep loneliness feeling but, at the same time, being very confident.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Esotis'?

ESOTIS means Eternal Silence Of These Infinite Spaces. It comes from the famous words of Blaise Pascal : “The eternal silence of these infinite spaces frightens me ”… But with one difference : it doesn’t frighten me, it makes me confident.

5.Currently this project is all solo, are you open to working with other musicians or do you prefer to work by yourself?

Who knows what could happen… but right now, I prefer to keep it solo.

6.The album came out on Katabaz Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

Katabaz Records is a great netlabel made by (and for) a bunch of friends. You should check other artists on it : a lot of different styles but always with mood, atmosphere and feelings (http://katabazrecords.bandcamp.com)

7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of atmospheric black metal?

Well, worldwide is a big word… But I’m pretty surprise : in one week I got some pretty nice compliments and some people shows me good support on facebook and youtube. I’m happy with it right now but it is just a start : ESOTIS is born very recently so I still have a lot to do.

8.Are you involved with any other musical projects besides 'Esotis'?

Yes but I prefer to keep all of them separate so if you’re ok I wont speak about them.

9.What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

I’ll still continue my way in this style with waves of guitars and deep synth… but I’ll try to add, here and there, some little new sounds.

10.What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Well, the mix of guitars and synth is inspired by bands like Lustre or Basarabian Hills. However, to be honest, even if I like their music I’m not listening a lot to these bands. In a different style I prefer Summoning which is definitely one of my favorite band when it comes to mix guitars with synth. A part of that, I’m listening to a lot of different music : dark ambient, dungeon synth and movie soundtracks are, at the moment, among my favorites.

11.Does occultism play any role in your music?

No, sorry. I don’t believe in god, occultism, spirits, etc… I’m only “Trve” to one thing : myself. And it is not easy every days…

12.Outside of music what are some of your interests?

Art in general : movies, books… I like to draw. I’ve done the artwork of my album myself. I like to travel as well.

13.Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Thanks for your interview and review. Keep on supporting ESOTIS on bandcamp, facebook, youtube or whatever : it is so nice to see people liking a project which is important to me !

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Ak'chamel The Giver Of Illness are a band from Texas that on this recording plays a mixture of lo-fi black metal mixed with psychedelia and this is a review of their 2013 cassette "Thrower Of Sickness" which was released by Halloween Quest Records.

The cassette begins with some raw, lo-fi black metal guitar riffing and then starts adding in grim screams and starts getting more upbeat as time goes on by as well as speeding up and adding in blast beats along with a dark atmosphere, when it goes into the next song it goes more avant garde, experimental and psychedelic as well as adding in demonic voices and am radio voices.

Later on the album returns back to being raw black metal while also keeping around the avant garde and experimental elements which in return creates a very original sound while adding in more touches of psychedelia and as time goes on by Gregorian chants are added onto th e cassette.

"Once we get to the last song the mid 60's and early 70's occult rock sound starts to dominate and brings in organs and it takes the cassette into a more evil direction while also having in elements of harsh noise and as the song progresses demonic chanting is adding in calling upon the dark forces of Chtulu as well as bringing back some black metal elements and the cassette closes in a more psychedelic direction as well as mixing in radio sounds and choirs.

Song lyrics cover Lovecraft and Occult themes, while the production has a very dark, lo-fi, raw and primitive sound along with a couple of the songs being long and epic in length.

In my opinion this is a very great sounding recording from Ak'chamel The Giver Of Illness and if you are a fan of lo-fi black metal mixed in with experimental and psychedelic, you should give this cassette a chance. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Devourer of Stars" and "The Old Ones". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Thy Worshiper are a band from Poland that plays a very raw form of pagan/black metal with medieval folk elements and this is a review of their 2013 album "Czarna Dzika Czerien" which was released by Propaganda Chaosu.

The album starts off with nature sounds and then the dark synths and esoteric female vocals start to kick in, once acoustic guitars and drums are added in the music takes on more of a folk edge as well as mixing in bass and guitar leads which also leads to some black metal screams that have a deep tone to them and it leads to a heavier direction.

Once we get more into the album tribal beats are added in and the music starts going for a more pagan direction and has a ritualistic feeling that invokes the European Pagan Gods while also remaining heavy at the same time and the music starts adding in more melody and a guitar sound that is very original and not in the standard black metal direction, and the album utilizes this direction throughout the 9 songs that are present on this recording.

One of the main strengths this album has is its shamanistic feeling and when we get more into it folk instruments are added in to enhance the medieval feeling this recording possesses, and the music starts getting stronger with each song and the black metal parts start to kick in a lot as well as bringing in some fast parts while the music sticks mostly to a medieval sound but updated for 2013 in a more underground and cult way and it is a very original approach to black metal and the album closes with a blast beat.

Song lyrics are written in Polish and cover Paganism themes, while the production has a very strong, powerful and dark sound where you can hear all of the musical instruments that are present on this recording.

In my opinion Thy Worshiper are a very great sounding mixture of pagan/black metal and medieval folk music and if you are a fan of those musical genres and looking for something original, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Piach" "Deszcz" "Wiatr" and "Ogien". RECOMMENDED BUY.

This is a review of another recording from Emanation which continues his spiritual approach to atmospheric, experimental black metal with the Cassette being called "One Soul, One Body, On Spirit" which was released by Black Mass Records.

The cassette starts off which avant garde soundscapes as well as grim vocals in the background before adding in synths and as time goes on by you can hear experimental noise elements start to kick in and as the music starts to progress drones and spoken word samples become a part of the music, black metal guitar riffs and depressive screams finally make their way on the album after 10 minutes and mix in with all the experimental, drone and noise sounds that are present on this recording.

After the first song which is over 40 minutes as well as being more of an experimental song, lo-fi elements start making a powerful presence on this recording and you can hear some dark and creepy guitars in the background which have a drone/doom metal feeling to them and as the album progresses it starts heading into a more atmospheric black metal direction and also mixes in with all of the drone and experimental elements to create a sound that is very original.

When the album moves on it adds in more up beat and mid paced elements as well as adding a suicidal touch to the screams and the album never forgets about its experimental roots which also take over a good part of the album in a serious way while never staying too far away from the black metal foundation which also dominates the last song and this is the perfect album to listen to during seances or raising the dead

Song themes cover Spirtism, Science and Occultism, while the production has a very dark and lo-fi sound with all of the songs being very long and epic in length.

In my opinion this is another great sounding recording from Emanation and if you are a fan of experimental, atmospheric black metal, you should check out this recording. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Metempsychosis" and "Immanent". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Valknacht are a band from Quebec, Canada that plays a pagan form of black metal with elements of folk music and this is a review of their 2014 album "Le Sacrifice d' Ymir" which will be released by PRC Music.

The album starts off with an intro which utilizes viking chanting to bring a feeling of the dark waves as well as nature sounds and once the synths are added in the album starts going for more of an epic and atmospheric direction.

Once the album starts getting into the real songs you can hear traces of Graveland and Polish black metal being added into the atmosphere and then the heavy guitars and screams start to kick in as well as a classical music feeling which adds to the epic qualities of the recording along with some death metal influenced growls once guitar leads are added in as well as blast beats, then the album takes a more melodic direction while also remaining heavy at the same time which enhances the folk elements.

Melodic pagan chanting is also used on a regular basis during the recording and once acoustic guitars are added in the music starts taking on a folk/black metal direction along with the medieval sounding flutes and as we get more into the album the melodies start adding in a lot more emotion and sorrow bringing in some Norwegian pagan metal influences and mixing it with the more modern folk metal sound.

As we head more into the songs they start getting more epic as time goes on by and the mixture of melodic black metal, death and folk metal really does give the album a sound of its own and the songs really do the Pagan Gods justice and halfway through the album there is a brief use of female vocals that really enhance the aggressive qualities of the music.

Halfway through the album traditional metal elements start mixing in and adding another shade of color to the recording as well as the blast beats taking on an even more brutal approach while also retaining the atmospheric elements, as the album opens with an epic sound it also ends in the same direction.

Song lyrics are written in French and cover Paganism and Mythology, while the production has a very strong, powerful, heavy and professional sound with the bass guitars being mixed down low in the mix as well as most of the songs being very long and epic in length.

In my opinion Valknacht are a very great sounding epic pagan/black metal band and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Bataille de Maldon" "Le Sacrifice d' Ymir" and "Que Le Sang Constelle Mes Mains". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Suffering In Solitude are a band from California that plays a very depressive form of post black metal and this is a review of their 2013 album "A Place Apart" which was released by Domestic Genocide.

Once the album starts acoustic guitars come in and bring a post rock feeling to the album and a minute later melodic guitar leads start becoming a part of the mix, once the album goes into the second song heavy guitar riffs that also use melody and drums start to take over which then takes the music into a faster black metal direction as well as mixing in slower parts to make the album more diverse and you can also hear clean parts and bass guitars being added in as well as post metal style guitar leads.

As the album moves on the music starts getting more experimental as well as mixing in depressive black metal screams along with some more progressive elements, another strong element the music has is when it goes back to acoustic guitars and then returns back to a faster direction along with some blast beats as well as mixing in slower modern black metal riffing, and when the blast beats come out they really make the album stand out.

By the time the album hits the fourth song you can hear a small amount of military style drums being mixed in with the slower parts as well as an atmospheric background which really brings out the sorrow and depression of the recording and it also evokes a psychedelic feeling which you can hear in the synths which are utilized on some of the songs, and the album has a mixture of instrumentals and regular songs with the whole recording being slightly under 30 minutes.

Once we get the last song song acoustic guitars bring a very powerful beginning before adding in depressive post rock synths along with some grim screams as well as some melodic clean singing to bring a perfect ending to the album.

Song lyrics cover dark and depressive themes, while the production has a very heavy and dark sound along with the bass guitars being mixed down low in the mix and adding more power to the guitars and vocals.

In my opinion Suffering In Solitude are a very great sounding depressive, post black metal band and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this recording. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Exit (Time Lost)" and "Placed Apart". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Hangatyr are a band from Germany that plays a pagan form of black metal and this is a review of their self released 2014 album "Elemente".

When the album starts tribal style drums and epic synths bring in a feeling that reminds me of fantasy soundtracks, then the album goes into heavy pagan/black metal guitars that bring a lot of melody to the music along with a mixture of slow parts and blast beats while the vocals are in the pagan/black metal mode and use both deep and high pitches while the blast beats are more in a semi mode and you can hear a lot of emotion and homage to the Norse ancestors with the music.

Once acoustic guitars become a part of the album they bring in a good amount of prog and medieval elements to evoke memories of the dark pagan ages and as the album moves on you can hear traces of traditional and power metal being added to the instruments which is something you can really hear in the solos that are utilized on the recording, while the vocals remain in a different direction and do not utilize any of that influence but they do add in some death metal elements and the music really starts out with all of the different metal elements which also leads up to a sound they can call their own.

When the album adds in slow parts it brings out a lot of darkness and sorrow when it is brought in certain parts and the album once a few songs are added in you can hear traces of early melodic Swedish pagan/black metal from the 90's being a huge influence on the guitar playing, another great highlight the album has is when acoustic guitars are in the background of the heavier guitar riffing and it evokes a folk music feeling.

Song lyrics are written in German and cover Norse Paganism themes, while the production has a very strong, powerful, heavy and epic sound while the bass guitars are mixed down low in the mix.

In my opinion Hangatyr are a very great sounding melodic pagan/black metal band and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Die Sprache der Zwolf" "Zersetzung" and "Sie vergesson nicht". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Monday, December 23, 2013

I formed Shabti with Greg (formerly of Gift of Tongues and Shabti, currently in Feral, ZUD (US), and Stones Tools) in Portland, ME in 2008. Prior to playing in Shabti, I played in guitar and performed vocals in Kurixis from 2002-2006. The original goal of Shabti was to create aggressive, visceral, uncompromising music. Over the years we have released two eps (Self Titled and "Labors of the Dead") and we just released our first full length, "Paracusia". We have also played live throughout New England and fairly consistently in the Southern Maine region. Since the band's inception several drummers and bass players have lent their talents to the project. Though other band members have occasionally submitted riffs I am the primary songwriter. "Paracusia" features Denis (also in Eastern Spell) on bass and Ray (also in Falls of Rauros) on drums.

2.How would you describe your musical sound?

Most metal fans who have given me positive feedback typically describe Shabti as a natural sounding blend of death metal and black metal. I think that this is a natural culmination of my influences as a guitar player and the types of music that I enjoy listening to. When I originally started Shabti I wanted to go for more of a grind/black metal sound: fairly minimalistic and to the point. As you can hear in our songs, however, our music is fairly technical, though this is not intentional. I write riffs that I personally find interesting and rewarding to play and they just naturally evolve in that direction. I have heard people go so far as to compare us to Necrophagist though I do not quite agree.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

Religion, death, disappointment in humanity and the struggle to find something worthwhile in a universe with no apparent meaning are reoccurring topics. Some lyrics are quite personal whereas others are just observations about society, the human race, and the world in which we live. I am heavily influenced by "The Golden Bough" by James Frazer, HP Lovecraft, and books about ancient/classical/medieval civilizations.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name Shabti?

Shabti (or Ushabti) are funerary figurines that the ancient Egyptians placed in tombs to serve the dead in the afterlife. I am inspired by the mythology of many different cultures, though we are not explicitly an "Egyptian" themed band.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

We have not played many high profile shows but there are several that I have especially enjoyed. Worcester, MA has a dedicated metal scene and I have always enjoyed playing down there. Some of our best performances have been in small bars or obscure basements. I would describe our stage performance as intense and straightforward without any gimmicks or catering to the audience. My focus is on executing our songs to the best of my ability with precision and authenticity. This is what I appreciate as an audience member. Playing metal live for me is all about a sense of power and catharsis.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

We currently do not have a live drummer. Once we find someone suitable, I plan on playing in New England on a regular basis again. I would like to plan a short US tour at some point. In any event, I will continue to record and release music as Shabti.

7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

I have never bothered to actively seek out record labels in the past with Shabti but with the release of "Paracusia" my interest in these kinds of collaborations has been reignited. At this stage we do not have any plans to work with a label but I am open to any offers that we might receive. I think that a band in this day and age really has to work independently, promote themselves, finance their own work, and generate their own following. It seems to me that when a label is interested in signing us they are more likely to approach us after we have sufficiently proven ourselves.

8.What is going on with the other musical projects these days that the other band members are involved with?

Ray also plays drums (and occasionally other instruments) in Falls of Rauros, which is an atmospheric/folk/black metal band from the Portland area. Last I knew they were putting the finishing touches on a new cd and they also have some older material that they are putting out in the near future. They do not play live very frequently but they have been pretty prolific songwriters over the years.

Denis plays bass in a doom metal band by the name of Eastern Spell. They play out fairly often in the area and they are going to be releasing a split with Sylvia (another local band with former members of Ocean).

9.What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

Shabti is always going to be my outlet for extreme metal, though the exact sound is subject to where ever my interests reside at the moment. I think that there are plenty of things to discover in the world of distorted guitars, drums and bass, simply by driving myself to write interesting riffs and dynamic songs. Though I have interests in other genres, I have no desire to incorporate them into Shabti in a direct way. If I ever decide that I want to write something more straightforward with clean vocals, or electronic music, for instance, I will just start another project. I have various riffs and ideas floating around. One of the songs that I wrote more recently is very dissonant and jagged, with busy death metal riffs and sinister doomy parts. Shabti is basically my homage to what I consider the best of extreme metal in its various forms.

10.What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Bands that have had a significant direct influence on me over the years are Emperor, Dissection, Morbid Angel Carcass, Kreator, Mayhem, Anaal Nathrakh, Napalm Death, Enslaved, Gorguts, Bethlehem, Neurosis, Angelcorpse and Death. Bands that I enjoy that do not fit into the metal genre include The Cure, Unto Ashes, Skinny Puppy, Dead Can Dance, Nick Drake, The Dead Boys, Christian Death (just the Rozz Williams era), etc.

11.outside of music what are some of your interests?

I enjoy reading. Some books that I have recently read which are a pretty good representation of my interests are "The Greatest Show on Earth" by Richard Dawkins, "Thermopylae" by Ernle Bradford, and "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil". Over the past couple of years I have rediscovered old school pen and paper rpgs and "ameritrash" board games (such as Arkham Horror, etc).

1. For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?

1. Cold Crypt is a one man metal project that concentrates more on the atmospheric side of black metal rather than the fast paced-hail Satan side, its much more industrial now then it was in the beginning and in my opinion far more haunting.

2.How would you describe the musical sound that has been present on all of the recordings that you have put out so far?

2. Each release has been quite unique in its own way really, the first release (Devil May Scream) was a very standard style of black metal and the following album (Darkest Symphonies) kind of expanded on that with more synth and vocal experimenting.

the split album and the latest release (Bearing The Light) are the best of what the project has to offer so far, it would be a waste of time trying to describe it, you'll just have to listen to it and find out for yourself.

3.Can you tell us a little bit more about the lyrical content of the music?

3. The lyrics have always been about madness, negative emotions and exposing faith in a heaven as a fairytale fantasy, Bearing The Light is a concept album meant to remind people of the witch hunts in religious history and hopefully shed light on the madness of the church.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name Cold Crypt?

4. Actually in the beginning the project was called Cold Veins, I just wanted a name that no one else had used and was able to reflect the feel of the music, but one day I was stuck in traffic next to one of the many old graveyards near my home and by just staring out the window at all those graves the name Cold Crypt entered my mind, it sounded so much more morbid and chilling then the original name so I changed it.

5.With this musical project you work all solo, do you have this gives you more room to be creative?

5. To be honest I just hate relying on other people for things, they would just slow me down and try to change the music in a way that seems shitty and over used by others, that's why I use a drum machine half of the time because I don't want to have any one else in on this project. Half of the songs in Cold Crypt have real drums played by me and the other half programmed drums.

6.A few months back you put out a split album with Smorg, what are your thoughts on the other musical project that that was involved?

6. Smorg is a great band, it has punk, grindcore and black metal all rolled into one. The style has become a lot more like grindcore these days and in my opinion the quality of the music is improving with each release, some people seem to pick holes in the crusted rehearsal like quality of the recording they do but I think that just makes them sound more old school so hopefully they wont change that.

7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?

7. So far the response has been pretty positive actually as far as I can tell there has been only had one bad review at this time so that's good enough for me.

8.What is going on with your other musical project these days?

8. Marahkain has got a lot in the pipeline, we have a split album, a single and a full length album all lined up, we are also preparing to try a new sound but its just trying to find time to do it that's the problem, I'm always busy and so is Khalvst Ov Mhurn.

9.What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

9. Well I'm currently working on a new and more mechanized album called Utter Contempt For Life which will hopefully be released late 2014, the album artwork has unfortunately already leaked on to the fucking internet so its there for anyone who's interested.

10.What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

10. The bands that influence me the most are Fear Factory, Xasthur, The Berzerker, Nosvrolok, Leviathan and Striborg. The album that actually pushed me to try and make my own music was Leviathans Tentacles of Whorror. Right now I'm listening to Lunar Auroras album Hoagascht.

11.Outside of music what are some of your interests?

11. well I've recently become a father so that takes up most of my time but whenever its not family or music I just play video games.

12.Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

12. yeah if you like a band then buy a CD, don't be a prick and go looking for torrents.